The Ties That Bind
by Loveless-tan
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is a regular student by day and a vampire hunter at night. Upon crossing paths with a mysterious vampire, his once forgotten past is brought back and leads him down the path of discovery, pain, and a journey to save those he holds dear from a greater evil.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I've rewritten a lot of this story upon finding it again. To those who've read, favorited, and reviewed this story, I'm sorry that I've stopped writing this for a really long time. I intend to continue this story when I have free time to write it. Again, thank you to those who really enjoy this fanfic. It makes me really happy since I'm not the best writer. ;;**

* * *

Since before time, humans and vampires constantly fought with each other. The vampires had many advantages over the humans, such as in speed, strength, even supernatural powers. The humans were losing their kind to the vampires until they figured out a way to rid of them for good. With the invention of a special bullet, one shot to the heart was all it took to exterminate a vampire. Those who killed them were called vampire hunters.

Today, vampires are able to blend in and live with humans, though most humans aren't aware of their existence. Some vampires, however, still attack humans. To those that cause these problems, the vampire hunters step in…

A gunshot rang out in an old warehouse late at night, the moon still high in the sky. The victim clutched his right shoulder. The bullet had pierced right through it. He collapsed from the pain as the attacker approached him. A rough kick moved the victim over so that he was lying on his back. His attacker gazed at his victim with a menacing glare while the victim looked up at him with fright in his eyes.

"P-please! Let me live! I promise I'll-"

His words were soon cut off with the last gunshot sent straight through his heart.

"Is that the last one?" A voice called not too far from behind. He gazed down at the body and sucked in his teeth. "Didn't even get much of a chance to fight back, did he." He said to himself.

"He shouldn't have gone around attacking other humans."

The man sighed. "I know, I know. That's just the kind of work we deal with, right? Well, if we're finished, I'm leaving." The attacker proceeded to leave with his partner.

"Hey Shikamaru, I'm taking the train this time. Every time I walk alone, I always get attacked and it's starting to get annoying pulling my gun out all the time."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement. "Well, see you later then. Make sure you don't fall asleep and miss your stop like last time."

They both waved and parted ways. A short walk soon led Uzumaki Naruto to the train station. Since it was late at night, there usually weren't that many people around. The train Naruto took hardly had any people in it, so most of the time it was just him or some guy reading a newspaper.

As he got on, he noticed an unfamiliar passenger sitting where he usually sat. Feeling too tired to move to another seat, or to even care that someone else was sitting there for that matter, he sat next to him. The man, like Naruto, also seemed to be having a hard time staying awake. He looked a bit older than he was and had long black hair tied into a low ponytail at the base of his neck. A faint blush was present on his cheeks, and Naruto could easily pick up the smell of alcohol.

Naruto felt something touch his left shoulder. He looked to find the man had fallen asleep on him.

Naruto twitched uncomfortably. Having a complete stranger fall asleep on you was definitely something the blonde didn't appreciate. However, Naruto was taught manners at an early age, although he didn't always use them. Plus, he knew the embarrassment of missing your stop on the train because you had fallen asleep. Yes, he knew it very well.

He gently shook the black haired man awake, quickly getting a response and revealing a pair of scarlet red eyes a bit dulled from his buzz.

"If you tell me your stop, I'll wake you up when we get there."

He nodded and told him his stop, not bothering to get off Naruto's shoulder. It was then Naruto realized that they were getting off at the same stop.

"That's where I'm getting off too, so I'll let you know, alright?"

Once again, he nodded and went right back to sleep. Naruto didn't like having strangers sleep on him, but for some reason it was comforting.

_Maybe it's because I'm dead tired. I'm definitely not thinking straight_. Naruto thought to himself.

Thirty minutes or so passed when a voice from the intercom called their stop. Naruto shook the stranger and helped him off. He assured Naruto that he'd be able to walk to his house by himself, so Naruto left him. Still, something about that man puzzled Naruto. He had this aura about him that made him a tad uneasy.

_Well, whatever. I'm too tired to be thinking too much about it_. He yawned and made his way home.

* * *

Naruto yawned as he opened his locker. He didn't end up getting enough sleep as he thought he would.

"Didn't get enough sleep, huh?" Shikamaru walked up to the locker beside him, lazily taking out its contents. "Oh well, you can make it up in class."

"Unfortunately, I can't fall asleep in all my classes and still make good grades like you." Naruto said, yawning again.

They made their way to their classroom when Naruto heard his name being called. He turned around to see a familiar pink-haired female running towards him.

"Naruto, what have you been up to? Look at those bags under your eyes!" Haruno Sakura, one of his closest friends, complained. "If you fall asleep in class again, Iruka-sensei will be furious."

"He gets mad at me no matter what I do." Naruto retorted. He opened the door to his classroom and took his usual seat. Sakura sat in the desk near his right while Shikamaru took his seat at the back since he usually sleeps through class anyway.

"Fine, but don't blame me if he ends up yelling at you again."

Classes were long and boring. Naruto wasn't the best student. He made okay grades, but they could be better. Sakura made excellent scores. She's second best while Shikamaru is ranked number one in the class. How he manages to make a one hundred on every test and quiz he takes without even studying, Naruto will never figure out.

The only thing Naruto is good at is hunting vampires. He's been doing just that for quite a long time. Now that he's a senior in high school, he'd continue to hunt them.

"Naruto, pay attention!" Iruka shouted to the dazed blonde. "I've called your name three times now! What's the answer to this equation?"

"I don't know sensei." Naruto replied calmly. He was too tired to deal with Iruka right now.

Iruka twitched in anger and sighed. "We'll talk during lunch break." He then turned back to the chalkboard and continued the lesson. Sakura giggled softly.

"I told you he'd get mad."

Sakura, Shikamaru, and Naruto all sat down in the classroom during lunch period, eating their bento boxes.

"What do you have to do now? Clean erasers? Sort through paper work? Clean all the classrooms on the second floor?"

"Geez, enough already!" Naruto shouted. "It's always the same lecture with him."

Shikamaru remained quiet and continued eating.

"N-naruto-kun…" A small, meek voice called from behind, belonging to Hyuga Hinata, one of the richest students at this school.

"What is it Hinata-chan?"

"I-I'm sorry." She handed him a letter, causing Naruto to grow even more annoyed.

Sakura giggled. "He's still after you?"

"Why don't you go see what he wants this time?" Shikamaru suggested. "Ignoring him will only make it worse."

"Even if I go see what he wants he'll never leave me alone." Naruto got up and followed Hinata, ignoring Sakura's growing laughter.

"I'm glad you came."

Naruto averted his gaze from the male standing before him. This male is known as one of the richest students at this school and is also Hinata's cousin, Hyuga Neji. He also has a deep infatuation with the blonde, and it still makes Naruto shiver involuntarily.

Neji approached Naruto, crossing his arms. "I really don't like having Hinata send you those messages, but if I didn't send them you'd never come see me."

Naruto took this time to look up at Neji. "For the last time Neji, I don't feel the same way you feel about me."

Neji simply chuckled to himself. "I'm aware of that, however, feelings do change over time."

_This is why I hate this guy_. Naruto thought to himself. Thankfully, the bell signaling the end of lunch period rang.

"That's the bell, so I'd better be getting back to class." Naruto walked quickly to get away from the long haired brunette, only to catch him following his pace.

"I'll walk with you to class." He smirked.

"Leave me alone!" Naruto quickened his pace, glad to see that the brunette didn't follow.

* * *

"Why won't he leave me alone?" Naruto groaned while walking with Shikamaru to an office building.

"Just turn him down." Shikamaru took a card from his pocket and slid in into an identification slot, as Naruto did the same right after him.

"He won't listen to me! I don't know what's wrong with him. I don't need to be dating anyone now, especially not a male."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Don't know how to help you there." They both walked into a room with black walls and high-tech computers scattered around. Various weapons decorated one section of the four walls. Naruto went to that section and took down a small silver gun.

"Nice to see you guys again." came a voice near the two.

"Ah, Jiraiya." Naruto greeted the older man.

"Ready to do another day's work?" He smiled brightly at the two, as if vampire hunting was the best job in the world. The two both nodded and went off down to the streets of Konoha.

Shots could be heard from far away as Naruto reloaded his gun for another attack.

"Got him." Shikamaru called out as Naruto fired at his target, nailing him straight in the heart.

"There sure are a lot of vampires tonight." Naruto muttered into his communicator, refilling his gun with silver bullets. Another group of vampires appeared at that instant, surrounding him. He shot at each one with perfect aim.

"I'll be there in a minute. I'm pretty tied up at the moment." Naruto clearly heard rapid gunshots being fired over from the communicator.

"Geez, what's with all of these vampires?" Naruto muttered under his breath, getting increasingly annoyed with each one that came. Somehow, one managed to dodge his bullet and scratch his face. It didn't hurt much, but Naruto hated being touched by vampires. He shot at it, instantly killing it.

A few of the vampires started to retreat, but Naruto didn't let his guard down. That was one of the things he learned to always do as a vampire hunter.

Two vampires lunged at him, but he dodged them easily.

He then felt arms wrap around him forcefully. A vampire had managed to catch him off guard. He could feel his hot breath down his neck, causing the ends of his hair to stand up.

Naruto tried to wriggle from his grasp, but the vampire was stronger than what Naruto was used to. His smell repulsed Naruto to the point where he wanted to throw up.

"To think that a high level vampire would appear so suddenly." Naruto snickered, a hint of dejection in his voice.

Shikamaru overheard from his communicator. "A high level? Hold on, I'll be right there!"

"He's got me. It's best if you don't get involved."

"You're kidding, right? I'm not going to leave you behind. Just stay calm and I'll be there shortly." With that, communications were cut off. Naruto sighed. It's amazing how Shikamaru could remain calm and collected in just about any situation.

"Could you let go of me you monster?" Naruto spat out with hate in his voice.

The vampire merely laughed. "I couldn't do that, not after you've killed my minions."

"They were threatening the lives of humans. I'm not gonna let some vampire kill innocent people!" Naruto then remembered Shikamaru's words.

_That's right, I have to stay calm_. He tried to control his anger.

The vampire lowered his head and licked Naruto's neck teasingly, causing him to wince in disgust.

"Hmm, not bad. I suppose your blood will taste good. No, I know for a fact that your blood will be the best I've ever tasted." He smirked.

"Think again." Naruto retorted as he slowly lifted his gun. With the right timing, he shot at the vampire's chest. The vampire gasped and let go of the blonde vampire hunter, but managed to swipe at Naruto's shoulder in the process.

Naruto regained his balance and held his shoulder, feeling warm liquid run down through his fingers.

Naruto let out a curse. Why'd he have to be bleeding in front of a bloodthirsty vampire?

Luckily, the wound wasn't too serious. Though it hurt, he was able to lift his arm and hold his gun at the vampire approaching him.

"You're lucky you missed my vital spot." The vampire chuckled. "I would've been in a world of hurt." Naruto then watched in horror as the spot where he had shot him miraculously healed.

"Now then," he walked closer to Naruto, eyeing his bleeding shoulder. "I see I caused a little bit of damage. Your blood smells so intriguing, by the way. Can't wait to sink my teeth into you."

Naruto shot rapidly at his enemy, though he managed to dodge each one.

"You merely caught me off guard with that one shot." He craned his neck in a sickly manner. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

With astonishing speed, he quickly swiped the gun away and grabbed Naruto, slamming him hard into a corner.

"Aren't so powerful now, are we?" He laughed menacingly.

Naruto began to grow more anxious with each passing second. Normally in situations like this, Naruto could react calmly and defeat his opponent. However, having a vampire much stronger than him this close made him feel vulnerable.

"Now, for your neck." He inched closer to the base of his neck, licking the spot like before. Naruto could clearly see fangs protruding from his mouth.

For the first time in a long while, Naruto was scared out of his mind. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he refused to cry. With the fear taking away his strength, he slumped as the vampire readied himself for his prey.

_Looks like you couldn't make it in time Shikamaru_. Naruto closed his eyes.

_Please…someone…help me…_

Naruto heard a peculiar groan from the high level vampire. He opened his eyes to see him slumped over, a black hole where his heart is, or rather, where his heart use to be. Blood had sprayed all over the walls where Naruto sat, obviously belonging to the murdered vampire before him.

Naruto then felt the presence of someone near him. He looked up to see the person who had killed the vampire right before his eyes.

The person who saved his life.

"You…you're…"


	2. Chapter 2

******Note: I've rewritten a lot of this story upon finding it again. To those who've read, favorited, and reviewed this story, I'm sorry that I've stopped writing this for a really long time. I intend to continue this story when I have free time to write it. Again, thank you to those who really enjoy this fanfic. It makes me really happy since I'm not the best writer. ;;**

* * *

"You're…"

Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of the man in front of him. That same dark hair and those crimson red eyes that seemed to glow as he stared back down at him. Naruto felt his already rapid heartbeat accelerate even more.

The stranger moved his gaze towards the deceased vampire with a blank expression and licked the blood off his hands. He then turned towards Naruto. Those crimson eyes seemed to bore into his soul as he moved closer to him. Naruto edged away and felt himself growing dizzy.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said calmly.

"I don't care! Get away from me!" He looked away from the vampire, trying to steady his heartbeat.

He didn't hesitate to move closer to Naruto and touched his injured shoulder. Naruto flinched.

"Don't touch me!" He squirmed back, wincing in pain from the sting in his shoulder.

He inched closer to his shoulder and placed his lips upon it. Naruto expected to be bitten, but instead felt a weird warm sensation. A moment later, he no longer felt any pain in his shoulder. It was as if the wound weren't there to begin with.

"W-why…?" Naruto couldn't even say anything at this point. He knew vampires had special powers, but why would he heal him? He must have excellent self control since he has yet to go crazy over all the blood surrounding the two of them.

"Let's say we're even for now."

"Even? What are you talking about?" Naruto looked the stranger hard in the face. There's no mistaking it, it really was him.

"I assume someone's coming for you." He then walked away.

"W-wait!" Naruto called.

He paused and turned his head towards Naruto. Those crimson eyes were starting to make him feel uneasy again.

"Thank you, but don't think I owe you anything again."

He simply stared back at him and walked off. Naruto thought he saw him smile for a second, but maybe it was just his imagination. A few minutes later, Shikamaru came running towards the stunned vampire hunter. A look of astonishment crossed his face as he took in the scene before him.

"What happened here?" He examined the body of the vampire, his eyes widening slightly.

"Did you do this Naruto?"

Naruto slowly shook his head and stood up. "I've had enough. Let's go home." He walked off while Shikamaru silently followed him. He liked how Shikamaru didn't press him for answers. He and Shikamaru were close; he knew he'd tell him what happened eventually.

When they parted ways, Naruto noticed that his hands were still shaking from the previous incident that took place. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He neared the train station, but decided to walk home instead after noticing his blood stained clothes. Sure, hardly anyone rides the train at this hour, but he didn't want to take any chances of attracting unwanted attention.

When he got home, he took a quick shower and lay on his bed. All of today's events had him exhausted.

_Come on, I need sleep_. Naruto thought, feeling frustrated over his insomnia. _Now that I think about it, I never asked for his name_.

Naruto turned to a more comfortable position, letting this new thought grow. _Why did I have to thank him? Well, I guess it seemed right. Still, why did he save me? I never said he owed me anything._

Naruto began to feel his eyes droop, so he kept thinking._ It's weird. I want to see him again. No, not a good idea. He's a vampire. I can't get too friendly with_ any _kind of vampire…_ Naruto yawned and let sleep take over him.

* * *

"For the last time Neji, I don't feel that way!" Naruto ran, hoping to hide himself from the brunette. The final bell had rung, but Neji had stopped him and confessed his feelings once again. He tends to do this quite often, but recently it's been happening a lot more.

Naruto ran into Shikamaru who immediately took him to a spot where Neji wouldn't find the two. As soon as the coast was clear, they left.

"Don't you think it's about time you just went out with him? He's pretty persistent."

"Why don't you go out with him?" Naruto retorted.

"I'm just saying." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot to mention this, but Jiraiya wants you to take some time off today. I called and told him about you being attacked by that high level vampire yesterday. He says you should take a break for now."

Naruto groaned. "I'm fine Shikamaru. He didn't injure me too badly. I came to school on time, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you looked rough last night."

"Like I said, I'm fine."

"You can still come to the office, but he'll kick you out. You know he will."

Naruto groaned again, knowing that Shikamaru's words were true.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow then." Shikamaru waved as he walked off, leaving Naruto standing there alone.

_This sucks_. He thought as he walked home. Naruto had his share of dislikes, and one of those dislikes was missing work. To think that right now, there were innocent people being hunted by vampires and he couldn't do anything about it.

Naruto opened the door to his apartment and flopped right on his bed.

_I wonder if there will be more vampires out tonight_. Naruto grew a bit worried about his friend. He'd been hunting vampires with Shikamaru since his first year of high school. Shikamaru is experienced, not to mention a genius, but even Shikamaru could wind up in a situation like Naruto did last night.

_Well, I'm sure he'll be fine. Jiraiya wouldn't send him out somewhere dangerous by himself_. With that thought, Naruto pulled out his homework, but immediately put it off and soon fell asleep.

A faint noise woke Naruto from his slumber. He yawned and checked the time on his clock. It was midnight. Thinking it was just a random noise outside, Naruto went back to sleep. Soon after, he heard the same noise, only it seemed to be closer than he thought.

_Sounds like it's coming from the living room_. He decided to investigate. He walked into his small living room and turned the lights on. He did a quick check around the room. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned the lights off and walked back to his room. As he opened the door, he heard that same sound again. It was even closer.

Naruto turned around and saw nothing but darkness. He began to feel a bit anxious as he searched the hallway. He quickly walked back to his room, making sure to lock the door.

_What's going on_? Naruto felt his senses heighten. He pulled out a silver knife he kept hidden in a dresser in his room.

_Someone's in here_. He kept his guard as he looked around, listening for any peculiar sounds. All seemed quiet, but Naruto didn't let his guard down. Time passed, and Naruto felt he wouldn't hear anything more. He looked back at the clock. It was one A.M.

Naruto sighed, slowly becoming more calm.

"Got you."

Naruto jolted as two hands enveloped around his throat, forcefully slamming him into a wall. Naruto looked at his sudden attacker, his eyes narrowing. It was another high level vampire.

"For such a strong vampire hunter, I'm disappointed about how easy it was to catch you." He smiled as his grip tightened around Naruto's throat. Naruto, realizing he still had the knife is his hands, took the opportunity and stabbed it right into the vampire's chest. Just as he feared, it had no effect.

"You think something like that can kill me?" He laughed, slowly removing one of his hands from his throat to pull the knife out. "Although, this wound will heal more slowly because this knife is made of real silver." He threw the knife onto the floor.

Naruto gasped for air, thinking about the same incident that occurred last night. Only this time, no one would be here to save him.

"What do you want with me?" Naruto managed to choke out.

"Why, you're the most valuable person to us vampires." He cackled, moving his face towards Naruto's neck.

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" He pierced Naruto's neck with his sharp fingernail, letting loose a trinkle of blood. "You're a new blood."

Naruto's eyes widened as the vampire's fangs quickly made their way to his neck. He closed his eyes, waiting for the worst. When he felt no pain, he opened them only to witness a gruesome scene.

The vampire lay with an astonished expression, his heart missing, just like before. Blood was all over the floor and walls of his room, and, once again, he saw that familiar stranger.

Naruto was too stunned to say anything. His crimson eyes stared down at him, just like before. He walked closer to the startled blond.

"G-go away! Stay back!" Naruto yelled, but it sounded pathetic. The familiar vampire simply inched closer to his neck, then went limp in his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

******Note: I've rewritten a lot of this story upon finding it again. To those who've read, favorited, and reviewed this story, I'm sorry that I've stopped writing this for a really long time. I intend to continue this story when I have free time to write it. Again, thank you to those who really enjoy this fanfic. It makes me really happy since I'm not the best writer. ;;**  


* * *

"H-hey, wake up." Naruto attempted to wake the unconscious vampire, but he didn't stir. A panic attack threatened to take over him, but Naruto wouldn't allow himself to lose it now. He looked around, making sure that he wouldn't be in any more danger. Slowly, he steadied himself, and when he was sure he was in the right mindset to walk, he took the vampire and placed him on his bed.

_You saved my life again._ Naruto thought to himself. Just why was he doing this? The only time they had met was when they were riding the train together, but the simple favor didn't entitle him to save his life so many times.

Who is he and what did he want with him?

A sudden sweep of fatigue took over Naruto, almost making him black out. He looked weakly around the walls of his room, still stained with blood from the battle that had taken place. He knew he'd have to clean them, but he was too tired and shaken up to do it now. Naruto took one final look at the vampire who was sleeping soundlessly on his bed. For some reason, Naruto couldn't help but feel content watching his sleeping face.

He suddenly remembered his actions before he had passed out and placed his hand on the place where the enemy vampire had pierced him, only to find that that spot had been healed.

Too tired to even respond to this new discovery, Naruto walked to the living room and fell asleep on the couch. There's no way he was going to sleep in the same room with a vampire, no matter how many times he saved his life.

* * *

"_Excuse me mister, are you sure you know where you're going?"_

"_I'm sure. You'll be with your parents soon enough."_

_A young blonde boy nodded, not sure if he should trust the stranger, but followed him anyway. The sun was setting, making the sky go from a soft blue to a vibrant red-orange hue. The shadows casting from the tall trees made it seem darker, causing the blonde to grow tense._

_The older stranger took his hand, reassuring that he'd be alright. He held on tightly to his hand, somehow feeling safer._

_Time passed as they walked, when a peculiar sound was heard from a distance. The blonde tightened his grip on the stranger's hand._

"_Just stay close to me. There's no reason to be afraid."_

_He listened and moved closer to his side. From a distance, he could see the familiar red hair of his mother._

"_Mom!" He called._

_The red-haired woman turned around as she heard his voice._

"_Naruto!" She called, running closer to her son._

_Naruto ran into her arms, embracing her._

"_I was so worried. How many times have I told you to not wander off without me or your father knowing where you are?" _

"_I'm sorry." He apologized. "Some strange man in the forest helped me find you."_

"_Strange man?" She looked around. "I don't see anyone."_

"_But he…" Naruto began scanning the area, only to see that the stranger had disappeared._

"_Naruto, be careful around strangers. It was nice of whoever it was to help you, but just be more careful from now on." There was a hint of fear in his mother's voice, but Naruto dismissed it as her being worried._

"_I will mom."_

Naruto awoke from his slumber with a dazed expression.

_A dream_? He hadn't had dreams about his past in years. What brought them on now? Naruto yawned, taking in his surroundings.

_Why am I in the living room? Wait, why am I sleeping on the couch? Living room…couch…vampire…_

The events from last night came rushing back to him, causing Naruto to jolt right awake and sprint over to his room, to find the same vampire was still sleeping on his bed.

_What's he still doing here_? He nearly shouted. Something else seemed off about his room, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Wait…

Where's all the blood from yesterday? The walls of his room were clean! The vampire that had been killed was gone as well.

_Did he…_ Naruto felt a chill run down his spine. _He didn't actually lick all of that up did he_? Naruto fought the urge to throw up.

_N-no, he probably cleaned it up like any normal person would, right_? Naruto sighed a breath of relief, seeing blood stained towels in a far off corner of his room.

Still, that would make yet another thing that this vampire has helped him with. Naruto groaned inwardly, wondering even more just who this person was.

_Excuse me._

Naruto jumped, a memory of the past surfacing from his mind.

_Please help me!_

Naruto ran his fingers into his hair a few times, trying to forget the memories currently plaguing him.

_This is no time to remember_, He sighed. _I don't want to remember_.

He heard movement from his bed, seeing that the vampire had turned over in his sleep. Naruto stared at the sleeping vampire's face, feeling that same contentment he had felt the last time he saw him sleep.

_He's beautiful._

Naruto shouted, not believing what he just thought.

_No! I don't like vampires, especially not vampire men! What's wrong with me? Did I not get enough sleep? Did I hit my head during that battle last night?_ Naruto continued to freak out, when he heard said vampire stir in his sleep.

Naruto stood still and avoided making any sound, hoping the vampire would fall back asleep. He merely moved again, this time facing away from the terrified blonde. As soon as he was sure it was okay, Naruto let out the breath he was holding.

_I don't need this anymore. I'm going to school!_

* * *

Of course, Naruto didn't expect to be able to forget everything that took place this morning, making it harder to concentrate in class.

Every moment was spent wondering what the vampire was up to. He cursed at himself whenever he caught himself worrying about his well-being. He's a vampire, a powerful one at that, so he's fully capable of taking care of himself.

Still, as a vampire hunter, Naruto will always have his suspicions. He better not have found his weapons or raided through his personal belongings. Naruto would surely kill him for that.

Still, one of the things Naruto thought about the most was the words of the vampire that had attacked him.

"_You don't know? You're a new blood."_

New blood? What's that supposed to mean? Naruto touched the spot where he had nearly been bitten.

_This doesn't mean I'm some sort of vampire, does it_? He quickly pondered over all the symptoms that came with becoming a vampire: craving blood, pale skin, sensitivity to sunlight, heightened senses…

Naruto didn't have any of the symptoms, so why was he so "valuable" to the vampire race?

_Dad…!_

Naruto groaned, feeling more of his memories surface.

Don't remember. Don't remember. Don't remember-

"Naruto? You look kind of pale. Are you feeling okay?"

The familiar voice of his pink-haired friend broke him from his thoughts.

"I'm fine Sakura, just tired." He put on his best smile, hoping she wouldn't ask further.

"If you say so." Sakura shrugged. "You were just kind of spacing out. It was weird, especially since you're one of the first ones to leave the classroom when the bell rings."

Naruto didn't even hear the bell ring. He looked at the clock; school had already ended. Was he that out of it?

He laughed, shrugging off his uneasiness. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"He already left. He says he'll meet you at work." Sakura didn't know about him and Shikamaru's real work. When asked, they usually go with the ruse of a part-time job at a retail store or someplace.

"I'll see you later then." Naruto waved to her and walked out of the classroom.

_This isn't like me, letting myself get so worked up like this_. Naruto walked the path to his job, keeping his guard up in case a vampire decided to attack. It was broad daylight, but with the recent events that have happened, Naruto couldn't be too careful.

As he walked in, he was greeted by Shikamaru and Jiraiya. He got his weapon and supplies ready, but just as he was about to walk off with Shikamaru, a thought popped into his head.

"Shikamaru, I need to ask Jiraiya something. Could you wait here?"

Shikamaru simply nodded. "I'll be over here when you're finished."

Naruto nodded and walked back into his boss's room.

"What's wrong Naruto? Did you forget something?"

"I have something to ask you."

"Well, what is it?"

Naruto gulped, getting his words together. "Another vampire attacked me last night at my house."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Are you okay?" There was an edge to his tone.

"I'm fine. I was able to fend for myself." Naruto lied, reluctant to tell him about the mysterious vampire who saved his life. "He said some things to me that I wanted to ask you about."

"Go on."

"I'm not a vampire, right?"

There was an awkward silence between the two, but it broke when Jiraiya began to laugh hysterically.

"I wasn't joking old man!" Naruto shouted, embarrassed.

Jiraiya tried to calm himself down. "I'm sorry. Just what brought on a stupid question like that?"

"He said I was a new blood. What is that?"

Jiraiya went completely silent. His eyes narrowed and he seemed far off in thought, creating yet another awkward silence.

"So, it's that time again, huh." He mused.

"Umm, what's going on?" Naruto asked.

"We'll discuss this another time. You have work to do."

Naruto wanted to pester him for more information, but he knew that hunting vampires was a more important issue right now. Besides, he didn't want to keep Shikamaru waiting.

All through the night, Naruto had a tiny fear that another high level vampire would attack him, but all that came were the regular, easy to deal with kind. He kept thinking back about how his question about being a new blood changed Jiraiya's mood. He looked…frightened.

"I don't think any more vampires are coming out tonight." Shikamaru put his weapon away. "Want to call it a night?"

"Yeah." Naruto broke free from his thoughts and smiled at his partner.

"Well, I'll see you later." Shikamaru waved as they parted ways. Naruto stepped into the train and sat at his usual spot, feeling fatigued.

_Dad, where are you?_

Naruto paled as another memory plagued his mind.

_Where are you? Mom is…_

Naruto gripped tighter around the edge of his seat, trying hard to make the memory go away. He ran his hand through his hair, hoping it would help soothe him.

_I don't want to remember_.

The memories grew fainter as he made his way towards his apartment. He took out his key, when he remembered that he had another guest.

_Maybe I should just turn back now_.

Yeah, right. Where would he go at this hour? He could make his way to Shikamaru's house, but having to explain the reason he was there was out of the question.

_Maybe he left_? Naruto felt his heart rate increase as he inserted the key into the keyhole. The door squeaked open, and Naruto hesitantly entered his home.

He ran to his room to see that his bed was empty. He checked everywhere else but saw no sign of the vampire.

Naruto quietly laughed to himself, feeling his anxiety subside.

_He's gone, he's really gone._

Yet, he felt a little lonely, like he was actually looking forward to seeing him.

_No_! Naruto blushed at the thought. _I didn't just think that! I don't know what I'm thinking right now! I need sleep!_ Naruto hastily changed into his pajamas and jumped into bed.

* * *

Naruto felt a sensation of warmth around his entire body, like he was floating amongst the clouds, or like a warm, relaxing bath. He curled up more, feeling the sensation come even stronger. He hasn't felt this relaxed in a while. His eyes threatened to open, but he kept them shut, wanting to hold on to this feeling a little longer. His hand reached out and touched something soft. It didn't feel like the fabric of his bed sheets, more like a human being perhaps?

He slowly opened his eyes to be greeted with the familiar vampire's sleeping face right next to his.

Even people outside could hear the yell that emitted from Naruto at that very moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**********Note: I've rewritten a lot of this story upon finding it again. To those who've read, favorited, and reviewed this story, I'm sorry that I've stopped writing this for a really long time. I intend to continue this story when I have free time to write it. Again, thank you to those who really enjoy this fanfic. It makes me really happy since I'm not the best writer. ;;**

* * *

"W-what are you doing here? Get out of my bed!" Naruto shouted, still shaken up by the vampire's presence.

The said vampire slowly rose from his position on the bed and looked at Naruto, half dazed. With his messy hair let loose from the ponytail Naruto usually sees it in and his sleepy look, Naruto found his face heating up.

"It's too early." He muttered, then yawned, unintentionally showing off his sharp fangs.

"Don't get all cozy on my bed!" Naruto took his pillow and threw it at him, but he caught it easily.

Naruto glared at his uninvited guest but found himself losing greatly from his gaze. Those crimson eyes bore right into him, making Naruto feel vulnerable.

"Why are you helping me so much?" He let out without meaning to, causing him to feel even more embarrassed.

"No, forget it. Don't tell me."

"You don't remember me, do you?"

Naruto looked quizzically at him. "I've only met you on the train that one time."

The vampire yawned again. "Is that so?"

Naruto sat down on the couch with the vampire in his lap. He was originally sitting upright next to him but kept falling asleep on Naruto whenever he talked to him. Eventually, Naruto gave up, seeing as how this vampire wouldn't give up the opportunity to be closer to him.

Naruto checked the time. Seven A.M. It was pretty early.

"Umm, hey. Are you awake?"

He responded by opening his eyes and staring up at the blonde's face.

_I'm gonna regret asking this_. Naruto thought, but gathered his courage.

"What's your name?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

"Uchiha…" Why did that name sound so familiar? "I've heard that somewhere before."

"I have a younger brother that goes to your school. He's in the same grade as you."

"Younger brother?" Naruto pondered this for a while, thinking of all of his classmates.

"Wait, don't tell me that jerk Uchiha Sasuke is your brother, is he?"

"You know him?"

Naruto sighed. Although they were in the same class, they never bothered to talk to each other. Well, it's not like Sasuke is a bad person or anything, but he just hated his attitude. Not to mention, every morning all the girls would crowd around his desk squealing their heads off, which never failed to give Naruto a headache.

"We're just classmates. I don't really talk to him much."

"Hmmm…"

A few minutes passed and he heard soft, even breathing coming from the vampire resting on his lap.

_He fell asleep again_. Naruto sighed. He had to get ready for school, but he felt bad leaving Itachi alone.

_Wait, what am I thinking?_ Naruto blushed. Why is he so worried over someone he barely knew, a vampire no less? Yet, something about him felt comforting, like they've met a long time ago. Itachi had even asked if he'd remembered him.

_Have I honestly met this man before?_ Naruto slowly got up and gently placed Itachi on the couch.

_I guess I'll have to find out from other sources._

Classes ended, and Naruto found his anxiety level rising. During class, he kept sneaking quick glances at Sasuke, hoping he wouldn't notice. Thankfully, the Uchiha didn't pay him any attention. Still, he had to ask him about Itachi.

"Shikamaru, I'll be a little late. I have to do something after school."

Shikamaru nodded, not asking about it any further and headed off to work. After saying goodbye to Sakura and making sure Neji wasn't on his tail, he planned an opportunity to get Sasuke alone.

_It's like I'm trying to confess to him or something_. Naruto thought, feeling slightly ashamed. Sasuke was one of the last people Naruto would want to talk to, but the mystery about how Itachi knew him was too great to be left alone.

He saw Sasuke head off to the rooftop, so he took that chance to follow him.

"Umm, hey." He greeted nervously when he felt it was the right time to get the Uchiha's attention.

He looked up at the blonde vampire hunter. "I know you've been following me. I'm not interested."

Naruto blushed. The nerve of this guy…

"It's not like that! I just wanted to ask you something-"

Naruto barely finished his sentence when the Uchiha suddenly lunged at him. Naruto had quick reflexes and pinned him down onto the ground, his gun pointed straight into his chest.

"Listen to me." His hands were shaking, hoping he wouldn't have to resort to pulling the trigger. Sasuke simply pushed the gun away and got back up.

"Are you really here to ask questions, or are you here to exterminate me?"

"I don't need to kill you. You're not harming anyone, at least not that I know of. I do have a few things to ask you though."

Sasuke sat on one of the rooftop benches, making himself comfortable. "Go ahead."

"How do I know Itachi?"

The question caused the Uchiha to tense. "Quit playing. Ask your real questions."

"I'm not playing. I want to know how Itachi knows me."

"You mean to tell me after all this time you don't even remember him?"

"What are you talking about? First it was him who asked if I'd remember him when clearly I've only seen him once. Now you're getting mad at me about it! What am I not getting here?" Naruto shouted.

The Uchiha was silent for a moment.

"Have you honestly forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?"

"Twelve years ago, your parents died. They were murdered."

Naruto tensed. "H-how did you know that?"

"Do you know how they were murdered?"

Naruto could feel his pulse racing, not wanting to remember those events. He gulped, bringing himself to speak.

"They were killed by vampires."

Sasuke nodded. "Correct. I can't believe Itachi is still trying to protect you when you can't even remember what you are. I told him it's a waste of his time."

Naruto's breath came in shallow gasps.

"I'm a new blood, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "You don't even know what that is, do you? Why are you here talking about this with me when you should be discussing this with Itachi? Then again, if he hasn't told you by now…"

A sudden thought came to Naruto. "After my parent's death, I was in a state of shock. I remember the doctors telling me that there were some things that I've mentally blocked from my memory. So, I don't remember much from that time, only that they were murdered by vampires."

The Uchiha was silent again, as if he was contemplating something.

"A new blood, you want to know what that is, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"I'm not responsible for you freaking out if you remember something, you got that?"

Naruto nodded again. He'll have to brave it out. Jiraiya was unwilling to give him more information about it, and he didn't want to ask Itachi. "Just tell me."

Sasuke sighed. "Every generation, there is one human that is born with a kind of blood that is special to the vampire community. That human is called a new blood. If a vampire drinks the blood of a new blood, he or she will gain significant strength and will be granted a longer life."

Naruto listened intently. "A longer life? I thought vampires lived way longer than humans anyway."

"We do, but if we're not careful, we can fall victim to diseases just like humans. And, of course, we can be killed off. The new blood's blood was often used to help the weak and ailing vampires. However, there are vampires that want it for other purposes."

Naruto thought back to the vampires that attacked him. "They want to be stronger, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "That's why the new bloods are appointed vampire bodyguards. I should've said this earlier, but only a certain family can become new bloods, and that family is the Uzumaki. The Uchiha, my family, is the one assigned to protect the Uzumaki. It's chosen at random, so when you were born, Itachi was chosen to protect you."

"So that's how he knows me." Naruto still felt anxious, knowing there was more to come.

"But, Itachi was ill as a child. Our parents didn't want him to take on the job, but he wanted to do it anyway. For some strange reason, he really cared about you."

Naruto blushed, but didn't say anything and continued listening.

"Of course, there were vampires plotting ways to take you away from your parents. One of them was the leader of the Uchiha, Madara Uchiha. He was the bodyguard of the previous new blood, your mother."

Naruto felt a pang in his chest at the mention of his mother being a new blood. From the memories he has of her, she never looked like she had a huge burden like that to carry. And, from what he could remember, he never recalled seeing a vampire with her.

"All he wants is power, and he'll do anything to get it. The murder of your parents was all his doing."

A flash of red hair appeared in Naruto's mind. He gasped, knowing he was getting unwanted memories back.

"That day, he planned on killing your mother and taking all of her blood for himself. Itachi tried to take you far away so you wouldn't be killed as well. He was able to do that, but he was too late to save your parents."

Naruto held his head, feeling traces of the memories he's blocked out. A flash of red hair appeared, along with screaming, followed by his own father protecting his mother. It was bleak and fuzzy, but he made out the silhouette of an unfamiliar man. He could also see his five year old self standing not too far from him, cowering in fear. The last thing he saw was the color of blood before the memories faded away.

_No…I can't freak out now. Not in front of a vampire._ Naruto steadied himself, trying not to pass out.

"Thank you for telling me."

Sasuke walked off before stopping when he was right beside Naruto.

"He may be protecting you, but this doesn't mean that I like you or anything. In fact, I can't stand you. You've already made him suffer so much."

Naruto could still feel the chill from Sasuke's words as he left. It wasn't what he said that bothered him, but the fact that he now knows how much Itachi cared for him.

"That dumb vampire." Naruto sighed.

"This is the first time I actually want to remember."

After work, Naruto was physically and emotionally exhausted. He opened the door to his apartment and immediately fell face forward into the couch. It wasn't until later that he remembered he had a guest.

"Guess I better check on him." Naruto muttered, even though he didn't want to get up.

"Don't bother." He heard a voice not too far from him, belonging to Itachi.

"You're still here?" Naruto yawned.

Itachi grabbed a blanket and draped it over Naruto. He accepted the kind gesture, feeling too tired to get all worked up.

"So, you talked to my brother today?" Itachi sat beside him.

"How did you, nevermind. Yeah, I did." Naruto yawned again, snuggling into his blanket.

It was silent for a while, but Naruto found no comfort from it. It was the kind of silence that builds up tension that wouldn't let up until someone spoke.

"If you knew this all along, when I couldn't even remember anything, why didn't you tell me?"

"There's no need to remember that far." Itachi replied. "Would you have believed me if I told you back then?"

"Probably not." Naruto sighed. "I freaked out when I started to gain some of my memories back. That just proves how weak I am. I can take on vampires every night, yet I keep having to be saved by you."

"It's my job."

"Yeah, but I should be able to take care of myself. I've been doing that up until now, until you showed up." Naruto wished he could've taken back those words. He remembered what Sasuke had said to him, that he made Itachi suffer.

"I…"

"You don't have to worry. Whether you want me here or not, I'll protect you. I won't let him get to you."

"Itachi." Naruto hid under his blanket, feeling an array of emotions he wasn't sure he knew what they were at the moment. He didn't want to look Itachi in the face, to feel this conflicting pain in his chest from his words.

He heard him get up from the couch and walk out the door. Naruto had no idea if he would come back or not, but he didn't want to think about it any further. He was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

Naruto woke up with a jolt. He heard a sound coming from the kitchen, expecting the worst. His heart rate quickened as he reached for his gun.

"It's me."

Naruto recognized that voice right away. "Itachi?" Naruto sighed. "If you're coming over, at least tell me-" He trailed off when he smelled something peculiar.

Was that blood?

"Have you been feeding?" There was tension in Naruto's voice. As much as he now knew about his vampire guardian, he was still technically a vampire.

"No, it's mine." Itachi slumped down by his bed. Naruto got up to examine him. He saw a dark blood stain pooling on his side, which he tried to stop with his hand. Sweat pooled on Itachi's forehead as he tried not to show how much pain he was in.

"What happened?"

"Another vampire was after you. He got the better of me."

"Hold on, let me get my first aid kit." Naruto ran to the bathroom and quickly grabbed the kit. He took out some bandages to wrap around his wound and applied pressure, hoping the bleeding would stop soon.

After a few minutes, thankfully, the bleeding stopped. Naruto sighed a breath of relief, but still saw that Itachi looked remotely pale, for a vampire at least. To think that stronger vampires were coming after him, so strong that even Itachi was seriously injured by them, worried Naruto.

Why did it have to be him to carry this burden? Well, there was no use complaining since he had no choice in becoming a new blood. Still, why did Itachi want to protect him back then, before he even knew what kind of person he was?

"Does it still hurt?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine." Itachi replied, a bit strained. "I just need rest."

Naruto felt he wasn't as well as he was letting on, but he let it go. Soon enough, Itachi fell asleep.

Naruto gazed at the sleeping vampire's face, feeling that he'd soon get used to seeing this face. He sighed again, thinking of the past conversation he had with Sasuke. Just how much had he suffered? If only he could remember, but there was no use trying to force back those memories. They were blocked away for a reason.

That morning, Itachi has disappeared, but Naruto knew he would come back at any random time. That fact made him more nervous than the vampire attacks that would come his way at any moment during the night.

Naruto walked to his locker, when he felt a hand placed on his right shoulder.

_Great_.

He didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "What do you want Neji?"

Neji smirked. "I haven't come to pester you about a potential relationship. I actually have a favor to ask you."

Naruto didn't like the sound of this. "What is it?"

"I need you to do something for me." Naruto noticed a shift in his earlier demeanor. The arms he usually has crossed were shaking.

"What do you need me to do?"

He took a deep breath. "I need you to…go on a date with me."

"That's pretty much asking for a potential relationship!" Naruto yelled. He calmed himself down before he spoke again.

"I've already told you that I'm not interested. There are plenty of girls, or guys, or whatever you prefer that would want to date you. Why bother asking me when I've already told you I don't feel the same way?"

Naruto didn't want to yell at him, but his pestering was getting on his nerves. Still, something about Neji's way of acting bothered him. He'd usually ask him on a date and come back as if Naruto had never rejected him. Now, he looked taken aback by Naruto's words.

"What's with the change in attitude?" Naruto sighed, not believing what he was about to say next.

"If I hang out with you just once, will you leave me alone?"

Neji's expression perked up. "What time shall we meet? Is sometime around 7:00 okay? Or maybe after school? I can't go tomorrow because I have business with my uncle, but I'm sure Friday would be good for me."

"H-hold on." Naruto stammered. "I'm okay with any time, as long as it's not too late."

"Good. Friday it is then." He nodded and walked off, probably headed to class as usual. As Neji walked passed him, a strange sensation took over Naruto. His eyes widened and goosebumps formed on his arms. He held his breath, not wanting anyone to notice his predicament.

"Is something wrong?" Neji asked, noticing the blonde's sudden change of state.

Fortunately, the moment passed quickly. "It's nothing, I'm fine." Naruto replied.

The long haired brunette gazed at him a bit longer, making sure to himself that he was alright and walked off.

Naruto took a deep breath. He knew right away what that sensation meant. He walked off to class, feeling that more challenges were headed his way.


End file.
